I-Team: Documents show Jimmy Spencer continued to be violent and break rules in prison

WAAY 31 has 600 pages of Jimmy Spencer's disciplinary actions taken against him over the 30 years he was in prison.

Posted: Oct. 2, 2018 5:36 PM

Updated: Oct. 26, 2018 3:39 PM

Posted By: Breken Terry

The WAAY 31 I- team just received a six hundred page document from the state about a man who was paroled and now stands accused of murdering three people in Guntersville.

Jimmy Spencer was paroled in a November 2017 parole hearing, despite the fact that he was supposed to be serving a life sentence for crimes he committed in Franklin County. Spencer was let out of prison on January 22, 2018.

WAAY 31 currently has 600 pages of Jimmy Spencer's disciplinary actions taken against him over the 30 years he was in prison. Some are small disciplinary actions from smoking a cigarette and having a cell phone. Others are more serious like having inmate-made whiskey, starting a fight and one incident that ended with him being stabbed.

Keep in mind we have only been able to go through about 100 documents at this time. These documents show that Spencer continued to be violent in prison and break the rules. These documents or disciplinary reports follow an inmate around and are kept in a large file.

According to past parole board members, an inmate's file should include these disciplinary reports, and parole board members are supposed to go through these documents before considering someone for parole.

Along with Spencer's previous wrap sheet and life sentence, he was charged with breaking out of prison three times and charged with assaulting another inmate.

Out of the 100 pages we've gone through, we have found at least 12 disciplinary reports ranging from 2008 up until only a few days before he was released from prison in January 2018.

In 2008, reports show Spencer was cut by another inmate after they got into an argument over cleaning duties. Spencer refused to cooperate with correction officers on the case.

From 2009-2016, Spencer had six disciplinary reports for intentionally creating a safety or health hazard. According to the documents, in 2009 Spencer said he took 8 to 10 blood pressure pills, because he was having family problems. He also intentionally cut himself in 2016 to be moved to another block.

In 2011, two disciplinary reports were filed for contraband. In one incident, officers found two gallons of inmate-made whiskey in Spencer's cell. In a separate incident, they found tomato puree in his cell.

In 2014, reports show Spencer's cellmate got in trouble for having a cell phone that Spencer confessed was his. He said in this written statement, "I am a grown man, and I take responsibility for my actions."

The most disturbing documents show Spencer continued to be violent while in prison. In June 2014, Spencer admitted to hitting another inmate in the face over a cell phone.

Spencer was serving a life sentence for burglary and according to these documents, his thefts didn't stop while in prison. In April 2016, another disciplinary report was filled after Spencer stole his cellmate's coffee while he was asleep. In all of these disciplinary reports, Spencer plead guilty or was found guilty and lost his privileges for 15 to 45 days.

Two weeks before Spencer was released from prison, he had another disciplinary action filed against him for having a cellphone charger.

The parole board stated they paroled Jimmy Spencer because he had a positive conduct record and had a low to medium chance of re-offending, but these documents show he was breaking the rules up until the time he got out.

Three weeks after Spencer was paroled to a facility in Birmingham, he walked away. He was supposed to be at the facility for six months.

Spencer then had numerous run-ins with police and got arrested in June 2018 on drug charges in Sardis. Spencer now stands accused of murdering three people, including a child in Guntersville.